Tool holder or tool set



July 11, 1933. c VALLQNE 1,917,409

TOOL HOLDER OR TOOL SET Filed March 27, 1931 [WEE 1701f Patented July 11, 1933 UNITED STATES-1P CHARLES VALLONE, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK, nssrenon TO Bis-Bonito INGCOMPANY, F BUFEALQJNEW YonK tame -- T at" ease MAI'UFACTUR- TOOL nonnnn on. 33001. saw I Application filed March 27, iesifseria No. 525,673.

This invention relates to improvements in toolholders or tool sets such as open end wrench-sets comprising a group of wrenches of graduated sizes, each having'a shank or handle provided .withend enlargements or jaws,.and a holder :or binder 'by which the wrenches of the set are-bound or held-together'in an orderly. arrangementadapting,

the set-to be handled or treated as a unit, but nevertheless so as to permit the ready removal and replacement. of any desired wrench orwrenchesof the set. 5 "One object of the invention is to provide apractical and desirable holder of improved, but simple and inexpensive, construction which isadapted to bind or hold'a set of wrenches, or the like, in a prescribedan rangement and to be opened to'permit the ready insertion and removal of the wrenches single or collectively. Other objects of the invention are'to provide a holder of this sort which is composed entirely of'wire and comprises a body portion in whichfthe tools are placed, and a movable retainer or member which is adapted to be releasably secured inposition to retain the tools in place in the body and to beopened to release the tools; which comprises abody and a hinged retaining member, each formed of a single piece of wire bent into the required shape, releasable securing means for the retaining member formed by integral, interengaging portions of thebody'and retaining mem her; and which is of improved construction and'has the advantages hereinafter 'described and set forth in. the claims: i

In the accompanying drawing: Fig. 1 is a side elevation ofan'open'end wrench set including a my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the holder alone. a i Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the wrench set on line 38, Fig. 1, showing the retaining member in closed or retaining position.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the retain:- ing member opened. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of the wrench set or line 5 5, Fig. -1.

spread ends of the end*b ars 12 of the body taining members.

holder embodying Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a modified form of the holder; I

' The holder comprisesa body member 10 and :a movable retaining member 11, which 7 are hinged or'pivotally connected .to each '55 other, andeach' of which is formed by a single wire, rod or strip bent to the form illus trated inthe drawing. v

In the construction shown in'Figs. 1 to 5 the body member. comprises oppositely inclined legsor end bars 12 connected at one side of the holder by a longitudinal side bar 13. Similarly, the retaining member comprises legs or end bars 15 which, in the closed position of this member, are opposite .to and c5 incline correspondingly with the end bars 12 of the body, and are connected at their ends which are nearer together by a longitudinal sidebar 16 at the same side of the holder as the bar 13. At the opposite side joof the holder the end bars 15 and 12- are hinged or pivotallyconnected to each other, 7 preferably by end cross bars 14, which extend transversely from the lower or more widely and are formed with eyes 17 passing through or interengaging-with eyes 18 formed'on-the endsof the bars 15. The retaining member is thus adapted to swing toward and from the body member and it is releasablyretained in closed position, or in position to retain the renches in the holder by the engagement of parts at the free ends of the body and re-.

. Preferably, the side bars 13 and 16 of the body and retaining member are opposite ly ofiset transverselyfronithe inclined end bars 12 and 15 to which they are joined and, the ofiset portions joining one'of the side bars 13 or 16'to its end bars, are formed with bends or corrugations 19 adapted to pass over and spring or snap into holding engagement with the side bar of the other member of the holder. For instance, as shown,

the bends 19 are formed in the offset or cross portions connecting the side bar 16 to the end bars 15 of the retaining member. The free ends of the'body'and retaining member are thus releasably held in engagement by the inherent elasticity of the two partsof ice the device. The side bars 13 and 16 are also 7 preferably provided between their ends with bends or humps 20 which serve as finger pieces or holds for the fingers in opening the holder.

The wrenches 21, whichare of graduated sizes, are placed side by side or flat-wise parallel with each other in the body of the holder as shown inFigs. 1, 3 and lwith the inclined legs or end bars 12 and 15 of the body and retaining member crossing andengaging the opposite edges of the shanks of the wrenches at or adjacent to the inner ends of the end enlargements or jaws 22 of the wrenches. That is,when the retaining-member is in closed position, the holder extends about and binds the wrenches together with the inclined legs or end bars 12 and 15 engaging the opposite edges of the wrench shanks so as to hold the wrenches from separationand displacement transversely, and

in-addition, the inclination of the end bars 12 and 15 is such that they are also adapted to engage the shoulders or inner ends of the jaws of the wrenches and thereby substantially prevent the wrenches from shifting lengthwise or longitudinally in either direction in the holder. The wrenches. are thus retained in the intended stepped order in the holder, but any one or more of the wrenches.

can be readily removed from the holder by disengaging the free end of the retaining member from the body of the holder-and swinging it outwardly to open position. It will be'noted that the legs and bars 12 and 15 ofthe holder extend crosswise of the narrow edges of the wrench shanks or, that. is, transversely of the parallel planes in which the wrenches are, disposed so that, when the holder is opened anyone or more of the wrenches may be removed from the. holder through the open side thereof without removing or disturbing the. remaining wrenches.

The modified construction shown in'Fig. 6 issimilar to that described, but, in addition, the inclined legs or end-bars 12a of the body are bent or corrugated to form transversely extendingseparators 23 which form individual seats or pockets 24 to receive and hold the shanks of the wrenches. The shank of each wrench is adapted to seat or rest in a pair of the seats 24 thus formed in the two legs or end bars 12a. \Vith the wrenches thus separately retained in place,each in. its own seat, n theholder, if one or more of the wrenches,

is, or are, removed from the holder, the remainingwrenches will, nevertheless, be held from'shifting or displacement in the holder and, the wrenches which have been removed, can be replaced in their respective pockets in the holder without any necessity for moving the other wrenches to make room for the wrenches being replaced. In this modified construction, the'hinged endsof the legs or end bars 15 of the retaining member are connected by a longitudinal side or tie bar 25 which prevents the spreading of these end bars or legs. As shown, this tie bar is formed by integral inwardly extending continuations of the legs, which extensions are welded or otherwise suitably joined together at their meeting inner ends.

Iclaim as my invention:

1. A wrench set unit comprising a set wrenches at one side of the set and being r formed with bends providing individual open-sided holding seats for the several wrenches, and a skeleton wire retaining member which extends across the edges: of

the several wrenches at the opposite side :of

the set and is movable to open and close the holder, whereby one or more of the wrenches can be-removed from the holderwithout disturbing the remaining wrenches whensaid retaining member is in open position.

2. A holder for aset of tools comprising a skeleton wire body' having opposite end bars at one side of the holder, a side bar connecting corresponding ends of said end bars, and cross bars'extending from the opposite ends of said end bars, and a wire retaining member having end bars arranged opposite goo to theend bars of the body and hingedto the ends of said cross bars, and a side bar connecting. the free'ends of saidend bars and extending substantially parallel with the side bar of the body, said retaining member being adapted to swing on its hinges toward and fromthe body, and means for releasably securing the retaining member in closed position. i V 7 3. A holder for a set of wrenches having opposite end enlargements and reduced shanks extending between and connecting said enlargements, said holder comprising a body formed of a single piece of wire bent toform end bars which extend across the shanks of the several wrenches of the set between and adjacent theiend enlargements of the wrenches, a side bar connecting corresponding ends of said end bars, and cross bars extending transversely from the opposite ends of said end bars, and a retaining member-formed from a single piece of wire bent to form end barshinged at oneend thereof to said cross bars of the body and a side bar connecting the opposite ends of said endlbars,-said side bars of the body and retaining members having integral portions adapted for releasable engagement to hold said retaining member in closed position.

4. A wire holder for a set of tools comprising a body member and a retaining member each consisting of a single piece of Wire bent to form diverging legs, the diverging legs of the body and retaining member being disposed opposite to each other and hinged together at one side of the holder, and the legs of the body and retaining member being connected by side bars extending lengthwise at the opposite side of the holder, said side bars of the body and retaining members being adapted for interlocking engagement with each other to releasably hold said members from separation.

5. A holder for a set of Wrenches adapted to extend about the wrenches to hold them against lateral separation, said holder comprising a body formed ofa single piece of Wire having connected and bars arranged to extend across the edges of the wrenches at a one side of the set, and a retaining member 'formed of a single piece of wire having connected end bars arranged to extend. across the opposite edges of the'wrenches, the end bars of the body member and retaining member being hinged together at one side of the holder to adapt the retaining member and being bent to form separated seats for the Wrenches.

CHARLES VALLONE 

